This invention relates to appliances, and more particularly, to improved control housings for such appliances.
Various manufacturers of large household appliances make a number of models of each type of appliance and often sell appliances under more than one brand. In addition manufacturers often make appliances for other manufacturers and national retailers to sell under their brands. Often different brands or different models of such appliances are mechanically the same or very similar. It is important to manufacturers, for a number of reasons, to have brand differentiation; that is for appliances of different brands to be visually different; even though they are manufactured by the same manufacturer and are mechanically very similar or even the same.
The control area provides an opportunity for manufacturers to obtain such brand differentiation. Clothes washers and dryers and ranges generally have a free standing control housing along their upper rear edge. This provides a convenient area in which to obtain a degree of visual brand differentiation. Of course it is possible for a manufacturer to provide each brand with an entirely different control housing. However, this unduly increases the number of parts and complicates the manufacturing process, all adding to the cost of the appliances.